Oar-operating device.



I J. A. MUSGROVE, JR.

OAR OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1905.

hwentoz 319% names T on whom it may concern.-

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est leverage in operation.

- blade is at its Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the re- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. MUSGROVE, JR, OF KILSYTIL'WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES FENWIGK, OF KILSYTH, WEST VIRGINIA.

OAR-OPERATING DEVICE.

Be it known that I, JAMEs A. .MUSGROVE,

.Jr.,-. a citizen of the United States, residing at Kilsyth, in the county of Fayette and State of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvementsin (lar-Operating Devices, of which the following is a specifica- The invention relates to an improvement in oar operating devices, in the use of which the operator is enabled to face in the direc tion in which the boat is moving and propel the same by the ordinary pulling strain upon the car handles.

The main object of the present invention is to so arrange the fulcrums of the handles and blades of the oars as to afiord the great- Another object is provision of means for pivotally supporting the parts, whereby the lade may be elevated or lowered at the will of the o erator, the said supporting means being a apted for cooperation with an ad.,

justable etc to enable the operator to limit, as desired, t e lowering ofthe blades.

The invention will first be described with relation to its essential details of construction in the following specification, wherein reference is had particularly to'the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1' is. a plan illustrating my improved oar operating mechanism, the parts being shown in the osition occupied when the orward limit of movement.

verse condition of the parts. Fig. 3 is a similar view' showing the oar blade and handle folded longitudinally of the gunwale. Fig. gis a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 s a side elevation of a portion of a boat gunwale, illustrating the application thereto of my improved oar operating mechanism. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the sockets for supporting the blade or handle.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like throughout the several views, my improved oar operating mechanism is designed for application to the upperedge of the boat gunwale forward of the rowers seat, the mechanism being, of course, duplicated on each gunwale. I The operating mechanism roper is supported on the gunwale by tie medium of straps 1 secured on the outer side of the boat,

Specification of lietters Patent.

Application filed September 26. 1905- Serial No. 280.207-

parts impart movement to the blade soc Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

with their upper ends projecting above the I edge of the gunwale and bent to form gudgeons 2. The straps are ositioned at the proper points relative to t e position of the seat, and the gudgeons 2 are so formed as to directly overlie the longitudinal center of the gunwale, thereby providing the maximum resistance agalnst the strain lncident to op- -eration. A plate 3, hereinafter termed the supporting, p

ate, of disk form, is provided at dia metrically opposite pointswith pintles 4,, so

positioned as to seat in the gudgeons 2 of the straps and thereby pivotally support the plate 3, as w ill be evident. Socket pieces 5 and 6 are p ovided for the reception of the handles 7 and blades Sfof he oars. T hese socket pieces are praotic ally identical in construction, each including a metallic strip '9 provided at spaced interyals with split rings or collars 10, within which the appropriate end of the handle or blade is'to be inserted, a fastening means such as aset screw 11 being arranged for 006 erattion' .with the meeting edges of each col ar whereby to bind said. collars tightly upon their respective handle or blade, and secure the latter firmly to the socket. Both socket pieces are similar in construction with the exce tion that the strip 9 of the handle socket lece 5 is of somewhat greater length than t e strip 9 of the blade socket piece 6, whereby to provide the increased leverage in operatlon, as here-. inafter described;

The socket pieces 5 and 6 are pivotally supported at 12 and .13 respectively, on the supporting plate 3. The respective pivot pins are secured upon said plate at equidis- 'tant points in opposite directions from a line joining the pintle- 4. of the plate and from a line diametrlc of the late and at right angles to said first line, t e handle socket pivot" being secured forward of the second line and inward from the first line with relation to the longitudinal center of the boat, while the blade socket pivot is secured rearward from the second line'and outward from the first line. The openings in the respectivesocket pieces for the reception of the ivot pins 12 and 13 are located exactly midway of the -105 strip 9 of each socket. The free ends of the strip 9 of the respective socket pieces are pivotally connected by a link 14, whereby movement of the handle socket ]piece will 'et piece.

angled 16 for t ledge orv right angled portion of of the handle socket piece gives the operator an increased leverage on the blade socket piece, whereby to increase the effect of the power applied on the handles, as will be obvious.

The supportingplate 3 is pivotally mount-- ed in the straps 1, whereby to provide for the necessary dip of the oars, and in order to limit this movement of therplate as may be desired I provide stops 15 comprising' right platesformed with longtiudinal slots 1e reception of a pin 17 passed transversely through the gunwale and terminally provided beyond the stops with set screws 18, whereby the position of the stops with relation to the supporting plate may be adjusted as desired.-

It is to be understood, of course, that the the stop extends outward from the side of the boat beneath the supporting plate, so that in the dip of said plate'it w'ill'contact with the stop and be limited in movement. By preference I provide a stop15 for each side of the boat wall immediately beneath the supporting plate, whereby to limit the dip of said plate in both directions. i

The link 14 is preferably of a length approximately equal to the distance between the pivot pins 12 and 13, so that, when-desired, the socket pieces 5 and 6, and thereby the oar handles and blades may be moved into a position approximately parallel with and longitudinally of the boat gunwale, so that said blades and handles in this position will not project laterally of the gunwale to any material extent, as will be found de-' sirable when the oars are not in use or when the boat is to be passed through a narrow passage.

the supporting plate in order to partially protect the operat ng parts. I

, The mechanism desoribedcomprises few I parts, any of wlnch may be read ly renewed I A housing strip 19 is preferably secured to when desired, and in its use in connection with propelling a boat, any of the necessary movements of the oars may be gained.

' Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. Ina rowing plate, an oar handle connected to the p orting ate, an

gear, a pivoted sup tion between the handle and blade, and rigidadjustable stops secured to opposite sides pivoted supporting plate, to positively limit the downward movement of the oar handle, and blade during the operation of rowing.

'2. In a rowing gear, a pivoted supporting plate, an oar handle connected to the plate, an oar blade connected to'the plate, a connection between the handle and blade, and a a rigid adjustable stop secured to the inside of the gunwale of the boat, beneath'the pivoted plate, to positively limit the downward movement of the can handle during the operation of rowing.

3. In a rowing gear, a pivoted supporting plate, an oar handle connected to the plate, an oar blade connected to the plate, a connection between the handle and the blade, and a rigid adjustable'stop secured to the outside of the gunwale of the boat beneath the pivoted .plate to positively limit the downward movement of the oar blade during the operation of rowing.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature I in presence of two Witnesses. V

JAMES'A, MUSGROVE, JR. Witnesses:

H. H. GWINN, T. FENWIGK. 

